Requiem
by Vialco
Summary: Palpatine has been defeated and the Jedi rule the galaxy, ROTS AU.


I don't own Star Wars.

Requiem

The ivory-armored clone troopers stood outside the apartment's only door, blaster rifles held across their chests, their fearsome helmets giving them the appearance of automatons. As a brown-robed figure approached them, their rifles swung up to cover him, each one pointing at a different vital area on his body. The figure threw back his hood, to reveal a weathered face, that had been aged beyond its years by sorrow and loss, and whose eyes were filled with an eternal sadness. A clone with red markings on his armor that showed his rank to be that of a colonel, spoke out in harsh tones, "Identify yourself immediately" he said.

The old man waved his hand in front of the commander's face, "You don't need to see my identification," he said.

The clone responded in a monotone, " We don't need to see his identification," he said, to his troops.

The old man grinned, and spoke again, "You will allow me access to the apartment and allow me to leave with the occupant."

The colonel nodded his head briskly, and touched a control on his belt, then motioned the man forward. The door slid open, with a hiss of hydraulics, revealing another door, which also slid open, to reveal a third, which opened to reveal a rather large, and comfortable apartment. The old man entered the apartment, and the door's sealed shut behind him, he made his way through a hallway, and entered a small garden, where, at a bench, a woman sat. As he entered the room, the woman turned to him, and let out a gasp of surprise, which was quickly replaced by a delightful smile, which looked totally out of place on her withered form. Getting up from the bench, she ran to the man and embraced him, burying her face in his chest, tears of happiness flowing from her eyes. "Oh Obi-Wan" she cried, "It's so good to see you"

Obi-Wan smiled, and then pulled away from the woman, and looked at her, shocked at the transformation that had occurred since he had last seen her. What had once been a beautiful, vivacious, and intelligent woman had become a sad, lonely and broken person, with nothing but a spark of life keeping her alive. Padme Amidala's beautiful eyes had lost their shine, her lovely hair had lost its luster, and her wonderful smile had all but vanished, only appearing during these brief, and seldom visits. Obi-Wan shook his head, and said "Come with me Padme, I'm taking you to see Anakin." Her eyes lit up the mention of her husband's name, and she quickly slipped into her shoes, throwing a shawl over her head, so as not to be recognized. They made their way out of the windowless apartment, past the clones, and into the high-security hangar, where Obi-Wan helped her into a speeder, and then took off, heading for the Jedi Temple.

Coruscant had been transformed under its three years of Jedi rule, so, due to the laws restricting non-essential air traffic, the trip to the Jedi Temple took only a few minutes. Obi-Wan landed the speeder in a low-level docking bay, and then hurried to get Padme out of the speeder, and into the turbolift, Master Yoda had promised that he would be able to initiate a momentary malfunction in the Temple's security camera's, but he hadn't said for how long. Once they were in the turbolift, Obi-Wan hit the button for sub-level twenty-seven, and then slid a key card into the access slot, to override the travel restrictions, the turbolift beeped in acknowledgement, and began to descend. As it descended, Obi-Wan thought about the events that had led him to this point, where he and Yoda were defying the Council, just to allow Padme to see her husband.

It all started when Mace Windu killed Palpatine in cold blood, he thought. Once he had done that, the rest of the Jedi had begun to emulate him, becoming ruthless, killing their enemies, even in cold blood, ordering the people to do exactly what they told them to do. Soon after that, the Jedi Council had voted him off, along with the other pacifistic members, leaving only what they called the "Jedi Lords", Jedi who were willing to cross the line, willing to kill one to save two, willing to murder and innocent in cold blood to save a thousand, willing to dictate to the people, to rule over them, all in the name of peace and security. The Galactic Senate was now a sham, delegates who simply discussed and argued, but accomplished nothing, for the simple reason that they no longer had any power. Bail Organa, the Supreme Chancellor was a puppet of the Jedi Council, when they wanted a law passed, they told him, and he immediately saw to it.

Yoda was the only member of the Jedi Council who opposed these totalitarian moves, but he was always outvoted, eleven to one, so he had eventually resigned himself to just watch, helpless, as the Jedi abandoned their traditions, in favor of effectiveness. Any Jedi who did not agree with the Council's decisions had their Force energy stolen by the telepath Azrael Yoom, leaving them cut off from the Force entirely. Once the Council members, excluding Yoda, who never participated in these sessions, had added the stolen Force powers to their own, thus increasing their own strength, they killed the Jedi, incinerating them with the Force.

The turbolift beeped, jolting Obi-Wan out of his thoughts, the doors opened, and he took Padme's hand, making his way down the hallway to the first cell of sub-level twenty-seven. A pair of clones clad in ebony armor stood in front of the door, rifles held at the ready, as Obi-Wan and Padme moved toward the door, the clones leveled their weapons at them, and prepared to fire. Obi-Wan spoke quickly "I am here to see the prisoner, I have authorization from Master Mace Windu, Grand Master of the Jedi Order," he held out a datacard that Master Yoda had forged.

One of the clones took the datacard, and examined it carefully, once he was satisfied, he gestured to his partner, who opened the door. A rank smell of human wastes, sweat, and blood reached Obi-Wan's nose, and he grimaced. Turning to the clones, he frowned, "Hasn't he had proper refresher facilities?" he asked, appalled at the implications of the odor.

The lead clone shook his head, "Our orders are to give him intravenous injections of nutrients three times a day, as well as hydration shots, that's all, he doesn't need refresher facilities."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock, "Who ordered this?" he asked in horrified revulsion.

"These orders were given by Lord Windu himself," said the clone, suspiciously, "Why don't you know that?" he asked.

Obi-Wan frowned, and motioned for Padme to enter the cell, turning to the clones, he said, "You are not to mention this visit to anyone, is that understood." The clones both nodded and returned to their posts, rifles once again held at the ready. As he entered the cell, Obi-Wan held his breath in anticipation of seeing his friend after three years.

Everyone in the galaxy knew the basic story; Anakin Skywalker was a traitor, both to the Republic, and to the Jedi. He had conspired with Chancellor Palpatine to overthrow the Republic and create an Empire, and for his actions, the Jedi Council had put him to death, or so everyone thought. Anakin Skywalker died 3 years ago, his Force power's stolen, and his brain lobotomized by the Force. On the day that Anakin Skywalker died, Prisoner 330015 was born. 330015 was described by the clones guarding his cell as tall, with blond hair, a perfect physique, and completely insane. They said that for most of the time he was deathly silent, so silent, that they sometimes opened the doors to check if he was still alive. Other times, he would rant and rave for hours on end, screaming about a bald giant that had locked him away, and about a long-necked creature that had broken his head. He would also talk lovingly about an angel, with brown hair and blue eyes, one who he said he loved. The clones had long since learned to tune his insane outbursts out, and just stand guard.

The lights in the cell came on, and Obi-Wan had to resist the urge to vomit, as he looked around the cell. There was a pile of stinking wastes in the corner, blood stained the walls, and then there was the prisoner, just looking at him nearly broke Obi-Wan's heart. Anakin Skywalker had once been a handsome young man, with a bright smile, and golden-blond hair, now, just like Padme, he was a shell of the man he had been before. Padme was about to go touch him, when the cell door opened again, Obi-Wan turned to admonish the clones, to tell them that he did not want to be disturbed, what he saw in the doorway made his breath catch in his throat.

Three Jedi Masters stood in the doorway, Yoda was held in the grasp of one of them, his hands and legs bound with phrik alloy restraints, his eyes glowing with a golden light. Azrael Yoom stood motionless, his eyes also glowing yellow, obviously keeping Yoda's mind restrained, while Depa Billaba, a tall, female human kept his body in a tight Force Grip. Mace Windu looked at them, then spoke, "We're going," he said, in his implacable, intimidating voice. Anakin heard that voice and leapt at Windu, screaming inarticulately, his hands clenched into fists, ready to pummel the man who had made his life hell. He never made it, Mace Windu simply flicked a finger, there was a surge in the Force and Anakin was thrown against the far wall, pinned by the Force. Windu gestured again, and Obi-Wan and Padme were lifted up and taken away.

The three traitors had been bound and placed in front of the Jedi Council, all of the members looking at them with rage on their faces. Azrael Yoom spoke, "Yoda, for crimes against the Jedi Order, we condemn you to be stripped of your Force energy, to be imprisoned for the rest of your natural life, and to be lobotomized in order to ensure your cooperation. Padme Amidala, for rejecting the Republic's generous gesture in providing you a home and allowing you to live, we sentence you to death. Obi-Wan Kenobi, for crimes against the Jedi Council, for attempting to see a convicted traitor, we sentence you to a lifetime of Force-stripped imprisonment, along with lobotomy to ensure your cooperation. Do any of you have anything to say?"

Yoda simply hung his head in sadness, and said nothing, Padme burst into tears, sobbing inarticulately, screaming curses at the Council. Obi-Wan simply looked at them, face expressionless, awaiting his fate grimly.

Mace Windu frowned, and turned to Yoom, "Proceed" he said, his voice grim, but carrying a small trace of sadness. Yoom closed his eyes, and so did the rest of the Council members, preparing to receive their share of Yoda's Force energy, which, after having lived for over nine hundred years, was immense. Obi-Wan could only imagine what Yoda felt as Yoom entered his mind, and stripped him of the very energy that he had felt since birth, that he had used for over nine hundred years. Yoda was silent, but in the Force there was a scream, a scream of anguish and sorrow, it was as if the Living Force itself was crying out in violation, that this act was an abomination that should not have occurred. All of a sudden it was over, the cry ceased as abruptly as it had started, and Yoda fell to the chamber floor, dead.

The Council members were nonplussed, but Padme's mouth opened in shock, and Obi-Wan was dismayed, looking at Azrael Yoom, he asked "What did you do?"

Yoom stared at him, expressionless, "He had lived for over nine hundred years, during that time he had slowly become dependent on the Force, until it was the sole thing keeping him alive. Once he lost his personal source, and the ability to touch it in general, he died, as there was nothing left to keep him alive." Obi-Wan was too shocked to even speak, the fact that they had known that stripping Yoda of the Force would kill him, and yet they had done so was the same as just killing him in cold blood.

Padme's shrieks had stopped when Yoda had died, and now she looked at Azrael Yoom, "I can't believe that you just did that," she said, a cold fire in her eyes, "You are nothing more than a murderer, a worthless killer." She looked around the Council chamber, "None of you are any better than the thieves, rapists and killers that your clones arrest, you are all ….." she was abruptly cut off, as her throat began to constrict, denying her air to continue her tirade. Mace Windu held out his hand, and slowly closed it into a fist, as he did so, Padme's throat continued to constrict, and then, with a final resonating crunch, it snapped, and she fell to the floor, dead as well.

Obi-Wan looked at the Council members, tears in his eyes, "What have you done?" he asked, his voice cracking with sorrow, "You have strayed so far from the path, that now you are the very things that the Jedi were trained to destroy. You are not Jedi, you are not Sith, you are just murderers, killers without hearts."

Mace Windu looked at him, and said "You are mistaken, traitor, we are Jedi, you are nothing but a powerless fool, who is about to lose his sanity." Yarael Poof's eyes glowed and Obi-Wan felt the presence that had been in his mind since birth, that beautiful, comforting thing that was the Force vanish, and then the connection he had to the entire Force also vanished, leaving him utterly alone. The last thing that Obi-Wan Kenobi felt was a sense of dropping, of falling into a bottomless pit, then everything went black.

EPILOGUE

The turbolift opened, and Mace Windu entered the cellblock, alone, save for a body that floated alongside him. He approached the clones, and levitated the body into the hands of one of them, to the other one, he said "Commander, this is Prisoner 330016, he is not to receive any visitors, and is under the same restrictions as Prisoner 330015, is that understood." The clone commander nodded, and his partner opened another cell, tossed the body in, then sealed the door shut. Mace Windu spun on his heel, and re-entered the turbolift, seconds later, the lift doors closed, and it shot upward, to the Council chambers. A few hours later, screams began to emanate from the cells, screams about murder, vengeance, giants, and angels, and throughout it all, the clones remained motionless, maintaining their silent vigil, unaffected by the ravings of lunatics.


End file.
